Episodes

As our May 17th, 2019 performance at JaM Cellars in Napa concludes, the wine has spun its magic and loosened up the most shocking confessions of the evening. Starting things off with a round of Truth of Drink, JT & Christine end up taking the "Truth" option to extremes, compelling audience members to throw away their inhibitions to discuss everything from the sexual perks of international travel to the emotional fulfillment of pegging.

It's our first live show! Recorded at JaM Cellars in Napa on May 17th, 2019, a packed crowd joins us for wine and candid (read: drunken) conversation. We were blown away by the number of crazy and unimaginable confessions we received and by the souls who were brave enough to actually share their experiences. It's Part 1 of a can't-miss 2-Part podcast!
Our next live show is coming to Sacramento, California, in July. Get on our mailing list to learn more!

For the second part of our Mother's Day Special, Christine is put in the hot seat by her two daughters for a game of Truth or Drink...but there's a fine line between the truth and too much information, as Christine quickly finds out. Clutching a margarita, Christine braces for a reflection of motherhood that is all at once hilarious, poignant and shocking.

In honor of Mother's Day, we present a two-part episode featuring conversations with our moms. In Part 1, JT shares a bottle of 2017 Sofia Monterey County Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine with his mother and talks about kids, careers, and the secret to a 61-year marriage.
Are you digging the podcast so far? Then please leave us a review...better yet, leave us a good review, because that's the kind of karma you want to spread into the universe. Also, please remember to send us your own...

After a tough week, it's time for something a little stronger than wine: vodka, tequila and a deep talk about friends with benefits. Is an FWB just another name for a Booty Call, or could it be that a friend with benefits is the perfect post-divorce relationship? Is the friendship unnecessary, or is it the most important component of all...and what happens if Friend #1 accidentally meets Friend #2?
Only one more week until our LIVE Launch Party and Confession Session at JaM Cellars in Napa!...

What's the cure to a crappy day? Sucking down a bottle of Veuve Ambal Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine and listening to other people's problems, which is exactly what we do in the 20th episode of the Pairs With Life Podcast. In a preview of the format of our upcoming live event and launch party, we read listener emails from across the country: stories of Napa discoveries, good and bad parenting choices and a sex confession from a woman who has been carrying around a secret for her entire...

We all feel overwhelmed from time to time (or in our case, 24/7), so what can be done about it? JT opens up about his recent struggle with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and what a bummer it is to be a flagrant extrovert on Zoloft, while Christine espouses the virtues of a good cry...all while uncorking a tasty bottle of 2013 Miner Emily's Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon. In the end, we come up with some suggestions on how to deal with the stress that can consume our time, energy and focus...'cause...

After our brief foray into monogamy, it's time to explore polygamy and polyamorous relationships. Are they simply about an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of threesomes and group sex, or does it take traditional relationship structures like trust, dedication and even monogamy to make them work? Are you more apt to try polygamy before you've had a long term relationship, or after you've been let down by one?
For such heady topics, we once again turn to a bottle of clean wine, this time the 2018...

You've tried marriage, or perhaps a long-term relationship, and it didn't work out. So, is monogamy dead? Is monogamy a natural instinct or just a social construct? And why the hell are we so sober that we can actually use the term "social construct?"
For this episode, we break open a box of wine from Scout and Cellar, specialists in curated selections of clean wine (also called "natural wine" or "wine without fuckery"). A delicious 2017 Field House Mendocino Cabernet Sauvignon is our...

With half a bottle of Yao Ming Napa Valley Brut Sparkling Wine left, we decide to keep the mics live and just spew out whatever is on our mind on a Saturday night. Strangely, that turns out to be JT's bizarre vasectomy story and the celebrities with whom we get a Free Pass For Sex. It's not only an adult conversation, it's proof positive why adults shouldn't be allowed to drink.
We're live on YouTube!
Well, not exactly Live-live, but our recorded episodes are available for streaming on our...

What's the difference between dating before you get married and dating after divorce? Do you need to "sow your oats" and get all the crazy out before saying "I do," or does the real crazy not even start until after you've said "I don't anymore?" And for that matter, is dating better when you're not even looking to get married anymore?
We pop open a bottle of the 2016 Yao Ming Napa Valley Brut Sparkling Wine and let the bubbles and the conversation flow, from Christine's change of heart...

A nickel spent on a crappy bottle of wine is still a nickel wasted, so we decided to head out to BevMo for their annual "5 Cent Sale" and create a Buyer's Guide of our Top 5 Choices. We found some of our favorite varietals - Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc - from some of our favorite areas: Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Russian River Valley.
So join us as we each choose our Top 5 and explain why we find so much joy in a bottle of wine under $15 bucks (and strangely, it...

We all have passions...or do we? Is it better to live a safe and comfortable life or to find the spark that sets you on fire? But not, like, the literal fire that burns the flesh off your skin in excruciating horror. That choice would be kinda obvious, and then we wouldn't have a podcast.
We are joined on the podcast - like it or not - by Jazzy, JT's cat, whose single-minded determination to knock over microphones and rip apart Christine's cashmere sweater is evident in all the background...

Drinking a smooth glass of Napa Cabernet is easy. Talking to your 16-year-old about having sex in the house is not. But we know this: it's a lot easier after that second glass. Or bottle. Opinions run the spectrum like Usain Bolt, from "I'm locking my kid in the closet until she's 30" to "I trust my child and she can get all kinds of nasty in her own home." Do we have the answers? Of course we do. All of them. That's why you listen.* Join us in the conversation here and on our Facebook...

In the concluding episode of our whopping 2-part series on True Crime, Christine reveals some skeletons that should probably be left in the family closet. Because the Greek Merlot we tried to pair with the last episode would make an elephant barf, we switched to the moonshine of Christine's people: Raki, a grappa-like drink that'll fry your nose hairs but make you dance like Zorba. It's mystery! It's murder! It's the last time you'll hear JT's Keith Morrison impersonation!
Mark your...

It's about 1:15AM and JT & Christine are corking their third bottle and rolling tape (Google it, kids). After a few sips of Pear Valley Aglianico from Paso Robles, the subject turns to Dealbreakers: all the things that bring a date to a screeching halt, be it big ticket items like politics and parenting philosophies, to the smaller but sometimes more annoying shit like smoking and criminal activity. Pour a glass and have a listen as we share all the quirks that make the second date a no-go,...

In a blatant attempt for better ratings, we totally appropriate the True Crime podcast fad and reveal dark, murderous secrets from our families' past. In Part 1, JT tells the story of his great grandmother, left home alone one night with a revolver and a bad attitude.
And speaking of bad (and criminal thoughts), there's a reason we had to turn to tequila for this episode...and it's not just because hard alcohol best pairs with MURRRRRDERRRRR...
Let's get social! Follow The Pairs With Life...

Is it cool to let your underage kids drink with their friends as long as you're supervising? Or are "cool parents" just idiots with children? Parenting question are hard, and we're here to make it just a liiiiiiitle bit harder for you, even though we bring the tasty unoaked chardonnay.
Our first LIVE event is coming in May!
Stay tuned for a big announcement about our live podcast and storytelling event at JaM Cellars in Napa. Subscribe to our mailing list for more information

Ian Devereux White, wine writer, musician and co-founder of Smith Devereux Wines, joins the podcast at JaM Cellars in Napa to discuss...well, writing, wine and music. And creating charity wines for rock stars. And threesomes.
Smith Devereux Wines are awesome and you should buy some (and we weren't even paid to say that). You can find their wines and join their wine club here.
Our closing music for this episode is from Ian's band, High Noon. You can learn more about the band and download...

Single-parenting gets an unknown twist when JT's ex has her boyfriend move in...but how unknown is it when you've been divorced twice? Some parenting decisions require more than one bottle, even when it's the delicious 2015 Jeff Cohn Cellars Sweetwater Spring Petite Sirah.
It's Our Blatantly Whorish Giveaway!
Follow us on any of our social media channels and when we hit 500 Followers, we'll give away five Swag Packages, including our awesome "Wine: It's Why I Don't Smack You"...